Australia Vs England : Commonwealth Bank Series: Sixth O.D.I. Preview

Australia take on England in Sydney in what appears to be an inconsequential game. Nevertheless, both teams will be looking to go to Perth with a victory in Sydney. Australia would like to give a sound drubbing and prove that they still are the World Champions when it comes to one day cricket. England would like to gain some needed confidence entering into the World Cup. Here is a look at the SWOT analysis of both the teams for tomorrow’s match.ENGLAND: Although the series has been lot, England will admit that there is still a lot to play for. Their recent one day performance has been disappointing which does not augur well considering that the World Cup is only a few days away. They will also be wary of fatigue, for it has been nearly three months since they arrived in Australia.STRENGTHS: England’s strength at the moment seems to be their fast bowlers. Chris Woakes bowled beautifully on Sunday to return with the second best figures of 6-45 for an Englishman in O.D.I.s. Paul Collingwood has been quite economical, going at less than four runs an over in this series. Jonathan Trott has been England’s best batsman in the series and England have a solid no. 3 batsman in him.WEAKNESSES: The middle order has been the main problem for England throughout the series. Morgan, Bell, Pietersen and Collingwood have all had a mediocre series. They have been getting starts but have failed to convert them into big scores because of soft dismissals. The fitness of the players is in question and the long series has injured a few of their important bowlers.OPPORTUNITIES: With Ajmal Shahzad out of the team with a hamstring injury, James Tredwell might get an opportunity to play. He would be looking to make best use of the opportunity. Steve Finn will also feature in the playing XI most probably and he would also like to show his mettle. The captain has not looked in great touch in the series and he would like to score big and lead by example.THREATS: The half century by Michael Clarke is an ominous sign for England. The lower order resilience with the bat is also something they should be wary of. If Shaun Tait gets to play, then, he and Brett Lee opening the bowling for Australia will be more than a handful for the English batsmen to handle.My playing XI: Andrew Strauss (c), Matt Prior (wk), Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell,Eoin Morgan, Paul Collingwood, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, James Anderson, Steven Finn.

AUSTRALIA: Sydney, about three weeks ago, was probably the worst place to be in for the Australian team. A 3-1 Ashes defeat, with the final match lost by an innings would have been very humiliating. However, this time around, they come with momentum, confidence and intensity to give back to England. A comprehensive victory could be sweet revenge.STRENGTHS: The pace bowling looked off-color in the fourth match but they got their bearings right in the previous game. Brett Lee in particular, has been impressive at the top. The part timers have also chipped in well, stemming the run flow as well as picking up wickets at crucial intervals.WEAKNESSES: Though Australia have been winning comfortably in the series, they have not been playing the best of cricket. The batting has not been great. Cameron White, especially, has got starts but has not made a half century in the series so far. Shaun Marsh has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and this weakens the batting line up a bit.OPPORTUNITIES: The Australian captain will be playing in front of his home crowd and this would be the perfect platform for him to announce his return to form. His half century in the previous game will give him a lot of confidence. Since the series has been won, it is the right time for Australia to test their World Cup squad players. Callum Ferguson has been drafted in as a cover for Shaun Marsh and if provided with an opportunity, he would like to justify his inclusion. Shaun Tait might get a look in to give him much needed match practice before the World Cup.THREATS: England have happy memories of this ground. They won an Ashes series in Australia after 24 years at SCG. They will definitely derive confidence from this fact. England’s pace bowling is a formidable unit and Australia would be served well if they treated them with caution. Kevin Pietersen, after the first match, has not played to his potential. He will be itching to go out and there and score lots of runs.My playing XI: Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Tim Paine, Michael Clarke (c), Cameron White, David Hussey, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait.

Match Timings: The match will kick off at 14.20 local time, 03:20 GMT,08:48 IST. Viewers in India can tune in to Star Cricket for the live telecast. There is also a pre show by the channel, with Mayanti Langer as the host and Sanjay Manjrekar and Wasim Akram as the experts.